Being thrown upon the public transport bliss, the
best starting points to Orlické Mountains are Náchod, Nové Město
nad Metují, Rokytnice v Orl.h. a Mladkov. Those are rather
comfortably accessible by train. Onwards you must continue either
by bus or on your own foot.

So
far as you wish to experience both upland and foothills, perfect
basepoint is Náchod. Right above the town square dominates
a castle, and on the opposite hill any higher two museums and a
view tower. The first one is a well-known Dobrošov
fortress and a visit of its underground takes you about an hour.
The latter is an infantry casemate Březinka upon Náchod-Běloves.
However this construction does not possess imposing underground
halls as Dobrošov, it is furnished with practically entire original
equipment. The view tower is a part of Jirásek touring chalet built
in 1923 and being under reconstruction at present. That's why the
tower is open during touristic season at weekends only.

Another outstanding starting point is Nové Město
nad Metují. A red marked "Jirásek´s upland path" begins
there, guiding you through picturesque Peklo (Hell) valley, tiny
castle Frymburk ruins with a townlet Nový Hrádek
to Olešnice v Orl.horách where
it gets to climb up the main mountain ridge. (This about 20 km/13
miles long trace you may cope by bus going from Nové Město to Olešnice
or via Sedloňov to Deštné
what is the next initial point to the main ridge). In Nové Město
you should give an attention to the Bartoň castle just in the town
square corner and excellent tea-room in an old monastery between
the town square and Rychta.

Rokytnice v Orl. horách is located in the
area where Orlické mountains verge into Žamberk Woodlands (which
of course are an integral part of Orlické hory). After some 7-8
km/5 miles tour with 400m/quarter mile rise you may reach quite
easy the main ridge. Again, you may use buses going to Říčky
(rather often) or via Bartošovice
to Orlické Záhoří (less frequently).
Leaving the bus at Panské Pole - Hanička,
you may visit 1,5km/about a mile distant artillery fortress Hanička.

You
may wish to travel north to northwest - than start from Mladkov.
This little village in the Tichá Orlice
valley use to be a start point to the Zemská
brána (Land Gate), continuing from there along the Jirásek upland
path to the north. Other possibility offers the educational path
"Concrete frontier" to an artillery fortress Bouda and
onwards to Suchý vrch.